Tag Archives: United States

United Nations Security Council (UNSC) envoys are set to visit Washington to see debris purportedly from a Yemeni missile that reached deep inside Saudi territory last year, with the US claiming that it was supplied by Iran. The envoys will visit a military hangar in Washington on Monday, where US Ambassador …

The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations and head of the government delegation to intra-Syrian peace talks has strongly rejected a proposal offered by some countries, including the US and Saudi Arabia, for the resolution of the Syrian crisis, saying the so-called peace plan is “not even worth the ink.” …

A US military helicopter has targeted several vehicles in Iraq’s al-Anbar Province, killing seven civilians and wounding 11 others, including a local official. The attack occurred in the west of Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar, local Iraqi media reported on Saturday morning. Iraqi Alsumaria television cited an unnamed security official …

A Yahsat official has confirmed the launch of Al Yah-3 satellite mission, and that the third satellite in the company’s fleet is “healthy”. In a tweet, the company’s official handle confirmed the launch of the 3,790-kg Al Yah-3 satellite on board the European rocket Ariane 5. “The launch is a key milestone …

Kurdish militias fighting against Turkey in the Syrian enclave of Afrin have called on the government of Bashar al-Assad to intervene and protect the area’s borders. The latest development, nearly a week into Turkey’s military offensive, could undermine Kurdish aspirations for self-governance and, if heeded, could set the stage for a direct …

Russia has accused the US of not contributing to a political settlement of the Syria crisis but rather seeking to divide the war-torn Arab country. Speaking at a news briefing on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova cited a recent speech by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at Stanford University …

Veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson has resigned from an international panel set up by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to advise on the Rohingya crisis. He claimed the panel was a “whitewash” and accused Ms Suu Kyi of lacking “moral leadership” on the issue. Mr Richardson, a long-time friend …

The Syrian government said on Wednesday that claims by France and the United States that it was still using chemical weapons were “lies”. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the Syrian government may still be using chemical weapons, following a suspected chlorine attack in the rebel enclave …

If you’re trying to tamp down on allegations of sexual harassment, it’s probably not a good idea to say the staffer making the claim was a “soul mate.” Yet that’s exactly what Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., did in an interviews with member station WHYY, the Philadelphia Inquirer and other local outlets just …

The US aviation security agency has issued an emergency order requiring additional screening of cargo on flights departing for the United States from five Mideast countries. It says the steps are aimed at preventing terrorist attacks. The Transportation Security Administration said in a statement that the order was prompted by …

The United States mistakenly supported China’s membership of the World Trade Organisation in 2001 on terms that have failed to force Beijing to open its economy, the Trump administration said on Friday as it prepares to clamp down on Chinese trade. “It seems clear that the United States erred in …

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has warned of “growing threats” from Russia and China, saying US military’s advantages over the two countries have eroded in recent years. The assessment is part of an unclassified summary of the Pentagon’s new National Defense Strategy Mattis unveiled on Friday. “We face growing threats from …

The US is set to overtake Saudi Arabia as the world’s number two oil producer this year, as shale companies, attracted by rising prices, ramp up drilling, the International Energy Agency said on Friday. “This year promises to be a record-setting one for the US,” the IEA wrote in its …

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the implementation of Iran’s nuclear deal based on its “mechanisms,” stressing that it must be preserved. “The (nuclear deal) constitutes a major achievement of nuclear non-proliferation and diplomacy, and has contributed to regional and international peace and security,” said Guterres’ …

Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan threatened on Monday to “strangle” a planned 30,000-strong U.S.-backed force in Syria “before it’s even born,” as Washington’s backing for Kurdish fighters drove a wedge into relations with one of its main Middle East allies. The United States announced its support on Sunday for plans for a “border force” to defend territory held by U.S.-backed, …

The U.S.-led coalition is working with its Syrian militia allies to set up a new border force of 30,000 personnel, the coalition said on Sunday, a move that has added to Turkish anger over U.S. support for Kurdish-dominated forces in Syria. A senior Turkish official told Reuters the U.S. training …

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday that it would not agree to any changes to the nuclear deal, as President Trump has demanded, and it vowed a “serious response” to new U.S. sanctions that it said crossed a red line. The countries that negotiated the multilateral 2015 agreement with the United …

China added to bond investors’ jitters on Wednesday as traders braced for what they feared could be the end of a three-decade bull market. Senior government officials in Beijing reviewing the nation’s foreign-exchange holdings have recommended slowing or halting purchases of U.S. Treasuries, according to people familiar with the matter. The …

A Louisiana teacher questioned whether the school’s superintendent should receive a raise. Then, she was ushered out of a school board meeting and handcuffed. The dramatic arrest on Monday – which was caught on video – has drawn outrage in the U.S. and beyond. The Vermilion Parish school board offices …

A series of mysterious attacks against the main Russian military base in Syria, including one conducted by a swarm of armed miniature drones, has exposed Russia’s continued vulnerability in the country despite recent claims of victory by President Vladimir Putin. The attacks have also spurred a flurry of questions over …

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that people have genuine grievances that should be addressed by the government, even as he blamed foreign powers for a wave of protests that hit Iran in recent weeks. His remarks — which come as demonstrations have dwindled — constituted a rare …

by Graham E. Fuller* — With the emergence of demonstrations and rioting in various Iranian cities earlier this month, Washington’s neoconservatives and interventionist/ imperial-minded “liberals” have been given a new lease on life in promoting their aspirations for “regime change” in Tehran. Indeed, of the three current potential global flashpoints—North …

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will visit Egypt, Jordan and Israel from Jan. 20 to 23, the White House said on Monday, embarking on a tour originally planned for last month after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Pence will hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel …

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday unanimously rejected a proposal by Energy Secretary Rick Perry that would have propped up nuclear and coal power plants struggling in competitive electricity markets. The independent five-member commission includes four people appointed by President Trump, three of them Republicans. Its decision is binding. At the …

A Pakistani court has ordered the release of a radical anti-U.S. cleric who went to Afghanistan with thousands of volunteers to help the Taliban fight against Americans after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. The development comes amid rising U.S.-Pakistani tensions following President Donald Trump’s accusations that Pakistan is harboring militants and …

Israel on Sunday identified 20 activist groups from around the world whose members will be banned from entering the country over their calls to boycott the Jewish state, stepping up its fight against a movement it views as a serious threat. Israel last year enacted a law that would ban any …

Arab states will soon embark on a diplomatic drive to persuade the United Nations to recognise a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said. Six Arab foreign ministers met in Amman on Saturday to …

Russian has used the war in Syria to train scores of its servicemen and to pick up valuable glimpses of the United States’ own tricks and tactics on the battlefield, a top Air Force intelligence general said. Moscow launched an aerial campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2015, and …

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley warned Iran on Friday that no government can legitimately deny human rights, adding that the regime is “now on notice.” Haley’s comments come at a United Nations Security Council meeting that centered on Iran after the US requested an emergency session amid protests …

An armed man who stopped an Amtrak train in Nebraska is facing a terrorism charge, after the FBI discovered ties to “an ‘alt-right’ Neo-Nazi group,” a cache of weapons, and allegations that the suspect, Taylor Michael Wilson, had talked about a desire to kill black people. Federal authorities have filed …

The Trump administration said Thursday it would allow new offshore oil and gas drilling in nearly all United States coastal waters, giving energy companies access to leases off California for the first time in decades and opening more than a billion acres in the Arctic and along the Eastern Seaboard. …

Ankara has slammed a US court ruling that convicted a Turkish banker for allegedly helping Iran evade Washington’s sanctions as “unjust and unfortunate,” saying the trial amounted to unprecedented interference in Turkey’s internal affairs. “It is an unjust and unfortunate development that Halkbank Deputy General Manager Mehmet Hakan Atilla was …

Ant Financial’s plan to acquire U.S. money transfer company MoneyGram International Inc (MGI.O) collapsed on Tuesday after a U.S. government panel rejected it over national security concerns, the most high-profile Chinese deal to be torpedoed under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The $1.2 billion deal’s failure represents a …

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says contractors and diplomats will be sent to Eastern Syria to help stabilize the country. They will be protected by American troops already there. Mattis says that besides rebuilding, the increased American presence will make sure diplomatic efforts continue for the future of Syria. Both Russia …

On Dec. 15 his 10-vehicle convoy, complete with soldiers toting AK-47 assault rifles, roared into a congress of the ruling ZANU-PF party. It was one of several displays of power by Zimbabwe’s generals since they helped oust Mugabe, the southern African nation’s ruler of 37 years, on Nov. 21. Ostensibly …

Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, according to two senior Western European security sources, providing an economic lifeline to the secretive Communist state. The sales of oil or oil products from Russia, the world’s second …

Tajikistan and the UAE are planning to create a joint investment fund to boost economic ties between the two countries, according to a top official from the country. The fund will facilitate investments in various sectors of Tajikistan economy including infrastructure, energy, tourism and agriculture, among other things, Qahhorzoda Fayziddin …

The word Crusade is associated with the European Christians of Middle Ages. The declared purpose of the European Crusades was to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslims. Currently, a Judeo-Christian Crusade is underway to consolidate the territorial claims of Israel, a state instituted by the European Jews with the support of the …

The United Nations agreed on a budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, according to a statement issued Sunday night, in what’s being called “a big step in the right direction.” The U.N. also cites “successes” including the United States negotiating a reduction of more than $285 million off the 2016-2017 …

A federal judge in Seattle has partially lifted a Trump administration ban on certain refugees after two advocacy groups argued the policy prevented their clients — all individuals from predominately Muslim countries — from reuniting with family living legally in the United States. U.S. District Judge James Robart issued a preliminary …

The latest U.N. sanctions against North Korea are an act of war and tantamount to a complete economic blockade against the country, North Korea’s foreign ministry said on Sunday, threatening to punish those who supported the measure. The U.N. Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday …

The Trump administration on Monday evening publicly acknowledged that North Korea was behind the WannaCry computer worm that affected more than 230,000 computers in over 150 countries earlier this year. As a result, the administration will be calling on “all responsible states” to counter North Korea’s ability to conduct cyberattacks …

Iran’s top diplomat compared a recent U.S. exhibition about his country’s alleged growing missile threat to the rhetoric heard in the days leading up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, raising fears that the White House’s hard-line stance against Tehran could erupt into conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took …

With the map of Syria’s conflict decisively redrawn in President Bashar al-Assad’s favor, his Russian allies want to convert military gains into a settlement that stabilizes the shattered nation and secures their interests in the region. A year after the opposition’s defeat in Aleppo, government forces backed by Russia and …